Eighteen maritime Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) will partake in an Innovation Performance Contract (IPC), a unique public-private partnership between the Dutch Government and companies of 250 employees or less. The Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Mrs. Maria van der Hoeven, will sign the contract at the Holland Pavillion at SMM on 23 September.
Van der Hoeven will visit the Holland Pavilion at the SMM in Hamburg. During her stay, she will meet with Mrs. Dagmar Wöhrl, the German coordinator for maritime business, visit several companies at the trade fair and host the Dutch network reception on board the Dutch Air Defence Command Frigate HNMS Evertsen. She will officially sign an IPC with Mr. Fred van der Wal, chairman of the Holland Shipbuilding Association, representing the companies involved.
With her visit to the Pavilion, Minister Van der Hoeven underlines the importance of the maritime sector to the Netherlands. Dutch maritime industry and the government together have a clear commitment to world-wide promotion of the industry and sustainable, innovative technical solutions for the challenges ahead.
IPC
The IPC is a policy instrument designed to stimulate innovation in SMEs within the Netherlands. It aims at facilitating collaboration and the transfer of knowledge within a group of SMEs. The programme targets companies that are connected to each other in terms of supply chain, region, sector or theme. Assisted by Holland Shipbuilding and Holland Marine Equipment, the eighteen maritime companies will jointly implement a long-term innovation plan. Cooperation and the sharing of knowledge are important aims of the scheme.
Importance of SMEs
The Netherlands maritime industry is one of the most complete maritime clusters in the world. More than ninety per cent of the cluster, over 10.000 companies, is small or medium sized. These companies play a central role in the development of new technologies that protect the environment, and increase safety and security to the international shipping community.
Most jobs in the EU are provided for by the 23 million SMEs. They have a crucial importance for future development, but very often face enormous bureaucratic obstacles. European SMEs need to be better assisted to fully unlock their potential of long term sustainable growth and more job creation. To achieve this goal, in June the European Commission unveiled the Small Business Act for Europe (SBA), based on ten guiding principles and proposing policy actions to be undertaken by both the Commission and Member States.
Holland Pavilion
HME organizes the Holland Pavilion at SMM 2008. 44 innovative Dutch maritime suppliers will present their latest technologies in the pavilion, located in Hall B7. The pavilion will measure 840 sqm.
Picture: Minister Van der Hoeven
Source: https://www.hme.nl/english/News/SME_companies_sign_contracts_with_Dutch_government/Default.aspx?rId=456[HME]
